Heres a gigantic Sending you some "pick up labor" vibes too : have you thought of trying some black or blue cohash to help speed things up? I know my MW's use that to help a woman who is having a tough time getting going. But, don't lose hope that you're body is not working correctly, its just getting there in its own time. I bet that once things really pick up you'll have your LO in your arms in no time.

Me too!~ The last three days have been sort of calm and restful contractionwise and now it's gearing back up! ARG! How many days in a row can you have contractions and not get a baby or two out of it anyway?

Here's hoping both us last monthers are holding babies by the end of the night.

DH kindly made me another tea of 5-week and B/B cohosh. I sure hope it works! If it hasn't picked up by bedtime I may do the castor wrap. I swear it feels like he's just going to try to PUSH his own way out!

which helped me a lot to remember this *is* part of the process, it *is* helping the baby come down and dilation and effacement of the cervix. I took tylenol and gravol both nights to get some sleep. I got limited sleep that way but every bit helps, and if you feel at all like you could sleep, do it! the second night I went to sleep at 745pm which was a godsend because I got almost 4 hours (broken by contrax but still) before things kicked up a notch and kept me up.

When my labour did pick up it went faster and much shorter than I expected, and I am totally convinced that the prodromal made the difference. I would actually wish for it again next time. : Which sounds odd but I'm sure it helped me start recognizable, consistent labour much further along than I did with my first daughter.

If you find anything that brings the contrax fiercer, that is not tiring to you, maybe do it. I nursed my daughter which made a HUGE difference... maybe try some nipple stim? Short walks? Cleaning up the house (not too intensely, but just walking and puttering around and sweeping, bending, etc maybe)? Sitting on the birthing ball or on something that helps you open your pelvis... sit on the toilet maybe and let your bottom open and maybe rock your hips, pretend you are bellydancing slowly maybe? Have an orgasm? I found cleaning, orgasm, nursing helped kick things up for me.

so far the B/B cohosh seems to be helping the most, but I don't want to do too much since it raises BP and all. I decided to wait for 37 weeks proper to do the castor wrap, so tomorrow night...

walking is just torture! but I have been trying to get out (store, etc) once a day at least.

I totally wish I had a birthing ball! there's nothing in town here and now I'm not even able to take the trip to Boise.

I'm trying to convince DH to have some monkey love--he's afraid of hitting the bag of waters. I swear, he never worried about a thing the last pregnancy. I don't know what's gotten into him, he's acting like a first-time dad, not a dad with 3 kids already.

the bendaryl is at least helping me get SOME sleep though.

I sure hope it goes fast like yours did!!

Mostly I'm trying to make sure I eat and drink fairly regularly. I did NOT want to do either in the last labor I had so don't want to go in dehydrated with low blood sugar.

Have you tried taking a bath? It can really be nice for relaxing early labor pains and while it often stops labor, if you are before 37 weeks and have been in early labor for a few days, getting a break from it might be a really nice thing. You might also see about getting a massage from your dh or a friend. s

I am going to start using startup from TriLight Herbs. I think that I might also do a caster oil wrap, it sounds like fun! I really want to get these contractions going.

Christine, I had no idea that all that snow is in Idaho. We just moved from Boise last year and we never got more than 2-3 inches. I am a city person and NEVER step foot in the "great outdoors". I : in the city!